Recently, science and technologies related to genes have been developed more remarkably than expected. As a technique for detecting, analyzing and measuring genetic information, an apparatus called a biomolecule chip (including a DNA chip, a biochip, a microarray, a protein chip, etc.) and a test method using the same have recently received attention. A number of different nucleic acids (DNA such as cDNA and genomic DNA, RNA, PNA, etc.) or peptides are arranged and fixed in spotted pattern on a substrate made of glass or silicon. On this substrate, fragments of sample DNA to be tested are hybridized with a labeling substance, such as a fluorophore or an isotope or the like, and capture DNA, or alternatively, a sample polypeptide or ligand to be tested is conjugated with a labeling protein by means of their interaction. A detector is used to detect fluorescence from the labeled DNA or the labeling peptide in each spot, or a radiation detector is used to detect radioactivity therefrom, thereby obtaining information on arrangement of labeled DNA or labeling peptide spots. By analyzing this data, genetic information on the sample DNA can be obtained.
A gene detection method using a DNA chip or the like has the potential to be widely used in the analysis of genes for the diagnosis of a disease or analysis of an organism in the future. Examples of a chip application include screening of a compound library for combinatorial chemistry or the like. The versatility of the chips also has received attention.
To date, however, methods for fabricating biomolecule chips as described above require high-precision equipment, leading to high cost for a detection substrate. Moreover, an apparatus for detecting a labeled DNA requires high precision, and therefore, it is difficult for such an apparatus to come into widespread use in small business entities or practitioners. Biomolecule chips do not have sufficient ability to process a large amount of data. Therefore, a substrate or a chip capable of processing data in an easy and efficient manner is expected.